When It All Falls Apart
by IronHeartWriter
Summary: Five years and a lot of fights pass by for Tony and Nicole, both on the battlefield and off. When someone they can't live without is threatened, can they put their differences aside to work together? Sequel to 'Haunted.' R
1. Neither Here Nor There

**AN: Yes, yes, yes, I decided to go on! Welcome to A new story! There's a lot of description in this first chapter, but I'll just tell you, this story takes place about 5 years afterth end of Haunted. For your enjoyment, When It All Falls Apart! PS: Womanizer belongs to Britney Spears...**

_Womanizer, woman-womanizer, you're a womanizer,  
Oh womanizer, oh you're a womanizer, baby You you you are, you you you are Womanizer, womanizer, womanizer (womanizer)_

Nicole opened her blue eyes slowly. She could swear that the song had played at least 25 times, if not more, in the past hour. She swore as she reached for her Blackberry, her eyes landing on the digital clock as well; it was four freaking thirty in the morning.

"What!" Nicole barked finally answering the phone.

"Good morning."

Nicole groaned. Tony Stark's voice was anything but pleasant, or even welcome... Much less so that it sounded like he was talking through a wind tunnel.

"I can already sense what you're going to say, Stark," Nicole growled. "And the answer is fuck no."

"I'm going to die out here," Tony sounded dead serious. Nicole could tell he must've been fighting for a while, but that didn't lessen her resolve.

"I have a five year old asleep in her room, Tony," Nicole snarled. "I can't fucking leave her alone!"

"For god's sake, do you have an AI house unit or not?" Tony demanded. "Nicole, I fucking need your help or else I'm not coming back to the states!"

Nicole growled, "Where the fuck are you?"

"Iraq."

Great. Just fucking great. Nicole climbed out of bed after she hung up with Tony. It wasn't enough that she worked with him everyday, no, he had to drag her out to IRAQ of all places...

"Sophie," Nicole yawned as she trotted down the stairs. "Sorry, friend, but I need you up to keep an eye on Natalie."

"Of course, Nicole," Sophie, the AI house unit responded. "Where are you off to?"

"Stark Mansion, and then to rescue the fucking bastard."

As Nicole sped through the empty streets of Malibu in her navy Audi R8, she reflected silently on the entire situation between her and Tony. She smiled grimly as she thought of the last five years. After Natalie had been born, Tony had proposed to Nicole and they'd married within a year. Everything had been fine until six months ago; Nicole had been out of town, and Tony had gotten a little too drunk. She'd came home to find him asleep with Pepper in their bed. That had ended their marriage, but not the ties that bound them.

Natalie Stark was the baby Nicole had given birth to while dating Tony. She didn't know for sure if Natalie was really Tony's biological daughter as she had been raped at the same time she'd been sleeping with Tony. But Tony had loved Nicole endlessly during her times of hardship, and he'd given Natalie every single thing a baby could ever want or need. After a mess up with the paternity testing, neither one felt like they really needed to go through with the process again, but as Natalie got older, she looked more and more like Tony in Nicole's eyes.

There was too much history between Tony and Nicole to break them apart entirely, but that didn't mean Nicole didn't loathe him for his actions. Their company, Lion-Stark Industries & Laboratories hadn't been broken apart. It would take way too much time and effort to try and do so, and really, what was the point? Nicole could live with Tony as a business partner, so long as he didn't piss her off royally. Besides the fact, they were on different floors all day long, so their paths didn't really cross all that much unless there was a meeting.

"A goddamn pit bull," Nicole mumbled as she sped up the driveway of the Stark Mansion. "That's what all this shit has turned me into. A vicious, heartless, pit bull."

Nicole entered the mansion through the garage, which instantly sprang to life the second she opened the door.

"Hello, Miss Nicole."

"Hi, Jarvis," Nicole sighed. "Tony's getting himself killed out there, huh?"

"Very much so," Jarvis sighed. "Shall I initiate Iron Woman assembly?"

"Please."

It took a matter of minutes for Jarvis to fully assemble the armor around Nicole's body, but the second he was done, she flew off. The HUD before her gave her various readouts on the condition of the armor and her body.

"I'm surprised this thing isn't telling me I need to go back to sleep," Nicole mumbled to herself as her locator found the jackass she was looking for. Within an hour, she found herself in Iraq, in the middle of a fight between Iron Man and a bunch of terrorists. But that wasn't all there was. Tony was also fighting what appeared to be two crummy versions of their own armor.

"You've got to be shitting me," Nicole growled as she began firing her repulsor rays from her hands.

"Nice of you to join me," Tony's voice sounded sarcastic, but weak, even through his armor.

Nicole ignored the comment, but observed Tony's armor. It was smoking, and Nicole was pretty much sure that his repulsors were the only thing still working.

"How long have you been out here?" Nicole inquired at last as she fired several missiles.

"Too long."

Nicole rolled her eyes, "Fuck it." She flew into the air, bullets ricocheting everywhere as her armor deflected them. She let her repulsors charge for a few moments, "I'd fly your ass up here if I were you," She said to Tony. Once Tony was in the air, she fired both full power repulsors at the ground, spraying dirt, sand, and other debris everywhere.

"Let's go."

Nicole shot off, back towards home without more than those two words to Tony. She had not wanted to fly all the way around the world at four thirty in the morning just to save Tony's ass, nor had she wanted to leave her daughter alone.

"Sophie," Nicole said to the AI as the AI helped guide her home. "How's Natalie?"

"Still sound asleep, Nicole."

"Good," Nicole smiled. "Her father's going to be getting some shit from me in a few hours."

"Mommy! Am I going to work with you today?"

It was a few hours later, and Nicole's mood had improved slightly when Natalie had woken her up just after eight. Nicole loved her daughter with all her heart, and she could never stay angry at her for long. Nicole had showered and dressed Natalie herself, and was now in the process of dressing for work.

"Yes you are, baby girl," Nicole hummed as she twisted her long brown hair into an elegant knot.

"No school?"

Nicole sighed and then smiled as she ruffled the five year old's hair, "Nope, we gotta find you a new school, Nati. One that's going to let someone as brilliant as you succeed."

Nicole had been through the hellfire of arguments with Natalie's first school. Natalie was clearly brilliant, anyone could see that (blame having the genes of two brainiac parents jammed together). But the damned principal of Malibu Academy would not allow Natalie to skip grades at such a young age, so Nicole had pulled her daughter out of the school.

"See where that gets them," Nicole smirked as she sprayed two puffs of her Armani Code perfume out. "When word gets out that Tony Stark and Nicole Lion's daughter got pulled out... Ooh, I wouldn't want to be them."

After a quick breakfast, Nicole walked with Natalie to the garage and strapped her into the carseat of the black Audi Q7 that was sitting beside the R8. Nicole never drove Natalie in the sportscar, she was too scared to do so, which was why she even had the Q7.

The entire trip over to Lion-Stark Industries & Laboratories, Nicole was smirking. Once she dropped Natalie with her PA, Lala, she was going to give Tony hell.

"Stark is looking for you," Lala hummed the second her boss entered the building.

"Really?" Nicole grimaced. "That's funny, I was actually looking for him too."

"Hi Auntie Lala!" Natalie ran to Nicole's PA to hug her.

"Hey cutie," Lala responded, lifting up the child in her arms. "So, you want me to watch her?"

"If you would not mind," Nicole nodded.

"For you to kick Tony's ass," Lala smirked. "Never would I mind."

Nicole walked straight into Tony's office to find him sitting behind his desk, talking to Pepper. Pepper's face turned bright red and she immediately looked away from Nicole. The woman couldn't even look her in the eyes; not that Nicole minded. Hell, if Pepper could look her in the eyes after what she'd done with Tony while he was still married, Nicole just might've torn the woman apart.

"You were looking for me?" Nicole inquired, not giving a damn that she had interrupted a conversation.

Tony nodded, and Nicole couldn't help but notice he had a bruise on the side of his face, "I never said thank you."

Nicole shrugged, "Whatever. But you're in so much trouble in my book... What the hell are you playing at, making me leave OUR daughter alone at four thirty in the goddamn morning?!"

"I was going to get killed out there, Nikki," Tony snarled. "What the fuck should I have done?"

"Don't you fucking raise your voice at me!" Nicole's temper rose rapidly. "I did you a fucking favor by going out there; especially since I don't want to do that shit anymore because of Natalie, and you know that fucking well."

"Good, so next time I won't bother calling you," Tony said. "Then you can explain to Natalie why her father is dead."

"Fucking bastard!" Nicole shrieked as she slapped Tony across the face, making Pepper gasp. "That's what the fuck you are; a fucking heartless and soulless bastard!"

Tony said nothing to the fact that Nicole had just slapped him across the face, but he stood up, "Watch that fucking temper of yours, Nikki; It could get you into trouble."

"Are you threatening me?" Nicole's blue eyes narrowed.

"It's neither here nor there," Tony shrugged. "I'm just warning you for your own good, and for Natalie's sake. I'm taking her this weekend for the fourth of July, right?"

Nicole nodded, "I'm going away for the extended weekend."

"Where to?" Tony inquired.

"Not that it's any of your business," Nicole snarled. Her expression suddenly softened, "But I'm going to Gotham."

Tony's eyes narrowed, "You're back with Wayne?"

Nicole smirked, "It's neither here nor there."


	2. Seperation

**AN: The song, 'When It All Falls Apart' belongs to The Veronicas**

Chapter 2

_Everything is F'ed up straight from the heart  
__Tell me what do you do, when it all falls apart  
Gotta pick myself up where do  
I start 'cause I can't turn to you  
when it all falls apart  
No..._

"Mommy, are you going to Bruce's house?"

Nicole smiled as she looked up from packing her daughter's suitcase. She was getting Natalie ready to go to Tony's house for the weekend while she did, indeed, go to Bruce Wayne's Gotham City mansion. It was Friday, a good two days after Nicole's argument with Tony. Nicole was still fuming after the fight, but she hid all of that from her daughter; the five year old could make her own judgement on her father's character. The five year old bounced happily on the bed while Nicole put the last of the clothes into the suitcase.

"Yes, I am, baby girl," Nicole responded, humming slightly as she zipped the small suitcase up. _Time to pack my own suitcase..._ She smirked in spite of herself.

"I miss him."

Nicole laughed, "Aww, I'm sorry hun. Why didn't you tell me? I would've spoken to your father and made arrangements for you to come with me and visit Bruce too."

"But I wanted to spend the weekend with dad," Natalie said innocently.

"Tell ya what," Nicole said thoughtfully. "When I go see him, I'll tell Bruce that he's got to come visit us soon. How does that sound?"

In the back of Nicole's mind, she could just hear what Tony would say if she told him that she was taking Natalie to Gotham. The thought made her insides squirm giddily.

_That would piss the fucking bastard off,_ Nicole mused to herself.

"Excuse me, Nicole," Sophie's calming voice rang through the house. "Mr. Stark is here for Natalie."

"Joyful," Nicole mumbled to herself, hoisting Natalie up in one arm and grabbing Natalie's suitcase with the other. "C'mon baby girl; daddy's here for you."

Nicole made her way down the stairs to the living room where Tony was waiting. Nicole couldn't help but give him the once over. He was wearing jeans and a black t-shirt with sunglasses over his eyes, Nicole couldn't help feel a twinge in the back of her mind.

"Daddy!" Natalie's struggle to get out of her mother's arms brought Nicole back to reality. Nicole released her daughter and the young child ran to her father who hoisted her up at once.

"You're getting so big, kiddo," Tony smiled as Natalie hugged him and he returned the embrace. He looked at Nicole and she saw him give her the once over. "Hi, Nikki."

"Hi," Nicole responded. She held out Natalie's suitcase and Tony took it from her, their hands touching for a second. "Pepper dress you?"

Tony glared at her, and instantly Nicole regretted the slip of her tongue. Despite their issues, Tony and Nicole had both agreed never to fight in front of Natalie, and for once, it was actually Nicole who had erred first. But luckily, before Tony could snap back, Natalie said something.

"Mommy, you forgot Mr. Bunjies."

"Indeed I did," Nicole felt the blood rushing to her face in embarassment. "Why dont you go get him?"

Natalie wriggled out of her dad's grip and ran up the stairs. Tony said nothing for a few moments, but then spoke sharply.

"What the fuck was that about?"

"It was a goddamn mistake, Tony," Nicole snarled back immediatly.

"Well, since you asked me one dumbass question, does that mean I can ask one back?"

Nicole glared at Tony, "Try me."

"You going to Gotham to get laid tonight?"

"Fuck you," Nicole snapped.

"I wish you would," Tony smirked.

"Don't make me sick," Nicole rolled her eyes. "You want an easy lay? Go ask that fucking PA of yours."

"How fucking long are you going to hold that over me?" Tony inquired. "I was drunk, goddamnit! Don't tell me you've never screwed someone when you were as drunk as a dog!"

"I won't," Nicole responded. "But I never did it while I was married."

Tony glared at Nicole once more as Natalie ran back into the room, her old stuffed bunny rabbit, Mr. Bunjies in her arms.

"I'm telling you this in front of your daughter, Tony," Nicole said as if nothing had happened while Natalie was gone. "If I hear you left her alone with Jarvis while you were taking care of something..."

Nicole gave Tony a look that he instantly understood. Nicole had never taken Tony to court over anything after their divorce, but for Natalie, she would be willing to have the court order that she have full custody if she felt Tony was being irresponsible.

"Relax," Tony rolled his eyes. "I'm not doing anything this weekend other than taking care of my amazing daughter."

Nicole shook her head as her eyes landed on a set of her keys that were laying on the coffee table, "Tony, what car are you driving?"

"My R8," Tony responded simply. "Why?"

"Uh-uh," Nicole tossed the keys to him and he looked at them as he caught them. "You're not driving my daughter in that car."

"You're actually letting me take your Q7?"

"Yes," Nicole responded. "I'd rather be nice and lend you a car than have to go around worrying if you had an accident in your R8."

"And you expect me to leave my R8 here?" Tony's eyebrows rose.

"Once I leave, no one will be able to get on or off of my property, Tony," Nicole said, matter-of-factly. "Sophie guards my house, remember?"

"Whatever," Tony shrugged. He turned to Natalie, "Ready to go, kiddo?"

Natalie nodded and hugged Nicole, "Bye, mommy!"

Nicole hugged Natalie back and kissed her forehead, "I love you so much, Natalie."

"I love you too, Mommy."

Not long after Tony left with Natalie, Nicole left as well, hopping on her jet for the trip over to Gotham. When she arrived, however, Bruce was not yet home.

"Welcome, Nicole," Alfred bowed slightly to her as he let her into the penthouse.

"Hey, Alfred," Nicole smiled. "Where is he?"

"I believe he said something about picking up dinner," Alfred said pleasantly. "I am actually on my way out; Master Wayne has given me the weekend off."

Nicole grinned, "You can thank me; I told him to."

"Oh, then my deepest thanks, Nicole," Alfred smiled warmly.

Nicole went into the living room and plopped down to watch TV. Before she knew it, she had dozed off, her feet on the coffee table in front of her, and her back halfway off the couch. What woke her was the feeling of someone else's lips against her own.

Nicole's blue eyes opened to find Bruce Wayne kissing her. Nicole smiled and kissed him back, pulling him closer to her.

"Good morning," Bruce said quietly when they broke apart.

"Hi," Nicole breathed, her face blushing slightly.

If Nicole calculated how long she and Bruce Wayne had been friends, she'd get the answer of for most of her life. She'd met Bruce Wayne when she was thirteen, and they'd been friends ever since then. They'd been more than friends at some points, but now, they both weren't really sure what they were; but Bruce could get away with kissing her again.

"Sorry I wasn't here when you got here," Bruce said, sliding onto the couch and pulling Nicole onto him.

"It's okay," Nicole responded, putting her head down on Bruce's chest. "By the way, Natalie misses you. How about coming down to Malibu for a change?"

"Do you want me to murder that bastard Tony Stark?" Bruce inquired.

"Not as long as Natalie's around," Nicole said honestly. "I hate to admit it, but he's an amazing father to her."

"Yes, but he stabbed you in the heart," Bruce said. "He's lucky that I wasn't near him when you first told me that you were getting divorced."

Nicole shrugged, "Whatever, that was six months ago."

"But you can't say you're fully healed," Bruce saw right through Nicole's brave face that she put on for everyone else.

"I'll never be fully healed from that, Bruce," Nicole sat up, accidentally pusing against a bruise on Bruce's chest a little too hard and making him hiss. "Sorry," she said before continuing, "I thought Tony was the fucking love of my life; and then he got drunk and fucked Pepper. But, just because I'm in pain, doesn't mean shit to me."

_That's what we are,_ Nicole thought. _Right now, we're guilt-free fuckbuddies..._

Nicole smirked at the thought and leaned over Bruce, her dark hair falling around them like a curtain. Without hesitating, she kissed him passionately, nipping his lower lip, silently pleading with him... He responded and she slid her tongue along his. Bruce's hands buried themselves in Nicole's dark sheet of hair as her nails slid along his ribcage, sending a chill through his body.

"Nikki," Bruce sighed as they broke apart, rinning his fingers through her hair. "I don't want you to think I'm taking advantage of you..."

"Like I give a shit," Nicole rolled her eyes.

"You should," Bruce said. "You're such an amazing woman, Nikki."

Nicole laughed sarcastically, "I'm glad you think so..."

"I'm glad you're the one to tell me that."

Tony slid out from under his Hot Rod to look at Pepper. She had stopped by on her way out of town for the weekend. Tony caught sight of Natalie, amusing herself with one of the inactive Arc reactors.

Pepper's eyebrows rose, "Nicole hasn't told you?"

"Nicole barely says two words to me unless it's about Natalie," Tony sighed, rubbing grease off of his hands with a rag.

"Well, I can't say that I blame her," Pepper's face blushed once more as she looked away from Tony. "You still won't accept my resignation?"

"Nope," Tony said. "You know that you're one reason Stark Industries hasn't fallen apart in the past, and you said it yourself; I couldn't last a day without your help."

Pepper looked saddened, "But you have Nicole."

Tony inhaled slowly, "As much as I still love Nikki, the chances of us getting back together are about..." Tony looked up thoughtfully, "Point zero-zero-zero one out of about three million."

"She's not going to stay mad at you forever," Pepper said quietly.

"No, she's not," Tony agreed. "But if I know her, and I do pretty damn well, her anger is going to vanish and then she's just going to be damn impossible to be around. You still feel guilty as hell, don't you?"

"Don't you?"

"I have reason to," Tony said. "I fucked up my marriage to the most amazing person I ever met in my life."

"Well, you didn't do it alone, unfortunatly," Pepper sighed. "You still love her, right?"

"How could I not?" Tony inquired. "Love like ours doesn't just go away like that. It gets supressed by pain."

Tony looked at Natalie, who was now dismantling the reactor, "Goddamn she's a genious."

"Just like her parents," Pepper nodded. "Is there anything else that I can do for you?"

Tony shook his head, "Just please come back to work on Tuesday; I can't find another PA like you."

Pepper nodded and left, though Tony was sure he heard her sniffle as the door closed behind her.

"Daddy," Natalie said suddenly, as she began putting the pieces of the reactor back together. "Why was Peppy crying?"

Tony inhaled slowly once more as he walked over to his daughter, "She's very sorry for something that she did that made your mom very angry with her and your mom is a little to angry to forgive her."

Tony looked around his workshop, his eyes landing on a picture he'd gotten blown up to fit a huge frame. It was a picture of him, Natalie, and Nicole that had been taken right before the entire thing with Pepper. They were all standing together on the beach, both Tony and Nicole had their arms around Natalie. Behind them, the sun was setting and the waves were crashing at their feet.

"Dad?"

Natalie's soft voice brought Tony out of his reverie, "Hm?"

"I love you."

"I love you too, Natalia," Tony murmered as he walked overto her and hoisted her up and kissed her forehead. "I love you so much."

"I miss mom."

Tony's breath caught in his throat, "I do too, kiddo."

_More than anyone knows._


	3. Natalie

Chapter 3

Natalie Stark wandered through her father's mansion as the sun rose. Morning was her favorite time of day. She sighed as she carried Mr. Bunjies through the hallways of the mansion.

"Is everything alright, Little Natalie?" Jarvis inquired.

Natalie, although young, was brilliant, after all, how many kids went to summer programs at their schools and actually semi-enjoyed them? She understood every single one of Jarvis's functions and oftentimes wondered what had made her father come up with such programming.

"I'm fine, Jarvis," Natalie responded. "I'm just bored. Where's my dad?"

"I believe he's down in the workshop," Jarvis responded.

"Thanks."

Natalie, instead of heading to the workshop, went out onto one of the large balconies to look out on the ocean. Though she didn't want to say anything to her mom or dad, she was truly sad on the inside. As long as she could remember her mom and dad had lived together. Yeah, there had been once-in-a-while arguments, but she could always see the love that her parents had shared. But then, one day, all she could remember was her mom, Nicole, who was in her eyes beautiful and strong, everything Natalie herself hoped to be, was yelling and screaming like Natalie had never heard before in her life. Her dad, Tony, did not yell back, but took the yelling, although he pleaded with Nicole to change her mind.

Natalie sat down on the balcony, her stuffed bunny beside her, and cried. She wanted her mom and dad to be back together again. She wanted to hear them laughing with each other instead of yelling at one another.

"Nati," Her father's voice startled her slightly. The next second she was scooped up into his strong arms and embraced by Tony. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"

"Why?" Natalie asked at last as she sobbed. "Why can't you and mom live together anymore?"

The question didn't just shock Tony, it made him feel as if he had been hit with a bullet. The last thing he'd been expecting to hear from his five year-old daughter was a question like that. Not only that, but how did he answer such a question?

Nicole was exhausted. She had been looking forward to staying at Bruce's for the weekend for a long time. But something had been nagging at her deep in her mind and she hadn't slept well at all. She sighed as she looked at her left hand. It was July, but out in California she always had a tan. Unfortunately, the one spot that wasn't as tanned as the rest of her body was a small area on her left ring finger where her wedding rings had sat until a few months earlier.

"What time did you actually fall asleep?"

Nicole had gotten out of Bruce's bed and wandered into the kitchen where Bruce was actually eating lunch.

"Didn't mean to wake you up last night," Nicole mumbled.

"It's fine," Bruce shrugged it off.

"I finally fell asleep around three."

"What's bothering you?"

Nicole looked at Bruce seriously, "Who said anything was bothering me?"

"Nikki, I've known you for too long to not know when something is bothering you," Bruce responded. "Besides, if someone like you, who loves to sleep, can't fall asleep till 3 AM, something's wrong."

"I miss Natalie, if you must know," Nicole responded rather grouchily.

Bruce smirked and walked over to Nicole. He hugged her tightly and kissed her nose before kissing her lips, "There's nothing wrong with missing your daughter, Nikki. You need to lighten up and relax once in a while."

Nicole exhaled slowly and melted into Bruce's arms, "I'm sorry; it's hard for me to be away from Natalie..."

"I know," Bruce responded. "Don't worry. I might not like Tony, but I've seen how he is with her; he's an amazing father to her."

"And you're an amazing friend to me," Nicole smirked and began nipping a certain spot on Bruce's neck that made chills erupt over his body. His grip on her waist tightened slightly as his eyes closed. Nicole heard his breath catch.

"Nikki," He spoke at last. "Please, if you don't stop..."

"Who said I care if you do?" Nicole whispered, nipping his earlobe.

She heard a growl come from Bruce's chest and the next thing she knew he had her boxed in against a wall, kissing her passionately. Nicole didn't hesitate. She opened her mouth and let her tongue battle with Bruce's. The rush of heat she felt had her head spinning...

_Womanizer, Womanizer, oh you're a womanizer..._

Nicole groaned, _Could his timing be any worse?_

Though he hadn't heard Nicole's thought Bruce was instantly curious, "Who is that?"

"Tony," Nicole growled. "Something must be up with Natalie."

Nicole dashed for her cell phone and reached it just as the song was ending, "Yeah?"

"We need to talk."

Nicole mentally rolled her eyes, "Could you have worse timing?"

"Did I interrupt something?" Tony inquired.

"Kinda," Nicole snapped. "What's wrong? Is everything okay with Natalie?"

"Not in the least," Tony responded.

"Goddamn," Nicole growled. "What's wrong?"

"Maybe you know how to explain to a five year-old like her why we don't live together anymore, Oh, Brilliant One."

Nicole's eyebrows arched, "Huh?"

"Jarvis scared the shit out of me this morning by telling me that our daughter was out on the balcony crying," Tony said. "When I found her and asked her what was wrong, she asked me why you and I couldn't live together anymore."

"Oh, shit," Nicole said. "I was really afraid of that happening."

"Afraid of what exactly?"

Nicole inhaled slowly, "Afraid of her thinking that our divorce might've been her fault."

'But we already know that it wasn't," Tony said.

Nicole felt like slapping him, "_We_ know that Tony, but how well does Natalie? As brilliant as she is... as brilliant as we both are... I can't believe I didn't see this coming!"

Nicole thought for a few moments. She had definitely done her best at trying to make Natalie feel like the divorce hadn't been her fault, but how the hell could she tell Natalie that Tony had broken her heart?

"Nikki, when are you coming back to Malibu?"

Tony's question jolted her out of her thoughts, "Monday afternoon, but if you need me back there I'll fly back tonight."

"Tsk," Came Tony's response. "We should be alright. Don't even worry about it Nikki."

_So much for getting laid._ After that phone call, all Nicole's spirit went straight out the window.

"What's wrong?" Bruce inquired, seeing Nicole's dejected expression as she walked back into the kitchen.

"It's Natalie," Nicole sighed. "Being a divorced parent sucks..."

Bruce kissed Nicole's forehead, "I'm sorry, Nikki."

Nicole shrugged, "Whatever."

Her guard was up once again; she wasn't letting anyone near her internal battles; Not Bruce, not Tony, God help her if either one of them tried to get in...

Back at Lion-Stark Industries & Laboratories on the following Tuesday, Nicole was more than happy to have Natalie back in her arms. She sat behind her desk, slowly rocking Natalie back and forth as she hummed a slow tune.

'This is what I live for,' Nicole thought as she kissed the top of Natalie's head. Natalie had fallen asleep and was feeling very warm against the humming metal piece that covered Nicole's Arc reactor. Just then an IM popped up on Nicole's flat screen iMac.

**Stark4**: Can I come up to talk?

Nicole contemplated the thought for a few moments. She hadn't spoken to Tony since the night before when she'd picked up Natalie and they'd had a hurried conversation. She guessed she owed him a conversation for something...

**NLion**: Sure, come up. Natalie's asleep.

Within moments there was a soft knock on her office door and Tony walked in.

"Hi," Nicole said, swiveling her chair towards him.

"She's so cute," Tony said. Nicole could see the love reflected in his eyes when he looked at his daughter.

"She is," Nicole agreed. "What can you do me for, Stark?"

Tony smiled, "I wanted to talk to you about her."

"Talk away," Nicole responded.

"We have to do something," Tony said. "We can't let her keep thinking that our divorce was her fault."

"Short of telling her exactly what you did, what exactly do you suggest?" Nicole inquired somewhat icily.

"Maybe getting some--"

Nicole cut him off, "_No_, Tony. There's no freaking need for that!"

Tony smirked, "And I thought you were supposed to be the sensible one."

"I am the sensible one, you royal pain in my ass," Nicole snarled. "But there's absolutely no reason whatsoever for us to take Natalie to see a shrink!"

In her arms, Natalie began stirring and Nicole absolutely glared at Tony, "See what you do?"

Tony held up his hands innocently, "All that I'm asking is that you consider it. You, of all people, should know what it's like to go through a stage where you feel helpless and I don't want our daughter to go down a road like that; especially at such a young age."

"My situation was entirely different, Tony, and you know it," Nicole snarled. "I was fucking raped and pregnant with a child and didn't know who her father was."

Tony was tapping some of Nicole's wounds that were not healed yet, and with her emotional guard up, she was just being downright vicious with Tony at the moment.

"You are such a bitch sometimes, you know that, right?"

"Then why the fuck do you bother with me, Tony?" Nicole inquired.

"Because you're my business partner, you're the mother of my child, and we were only together for around 6 years, Nikki," Tony responded. "I'm sorry if you like it or not, but I'm going to fucking bother with you."

Nicole rolled her eyes, "Whatever, Tony."

Tony chuckled somewhat sarcastically, "You can honestly say to me that you have no feelings for me whatsoever, despite all of our history?"

"We've already had this argument, Tony," Nicole responded coldly. "You lost any feelings that I had for you when I walked into that room to find you fast asleep next to Pepper."

Tony felt like Nicole had slapped him, but her harsh words all had a point to them. Nicole's wounds were still far too fresh for him to try and reconcile in any shape or form. He knew they couldn't keep fighting the way that they were, at least not while Natalie was around. But as he turned to leave, he saw Natalie's brown eyes open and staring directly at him. How much of the argument had she heard?

Tony was silent all the way beck to his office; He was deep in his thoughts...

"Excuse me, Mr. Stark," Jarvis said the second he reentered his office. "You've gotten a new e-mail while you were gone."

"And?"

"You might want to read it."

Tony walked over to his computer and read the e-mail it contained only four words:

**Watch your daughter disappear!**


	4. Signals

**AN: Yeah, I know, I owe you guys at least a chapter for Sunrise... This weekend, I swear! Thanks for all the reviews so far! PS: Right Here (Departed) belongs to Brandy**

Chapter 4

Tony's blood chilled and his brow knit.

"Jarvis," Tony spoke with more clarity than he was feeling. "Trace e-mail."

"Unable to trace," Jarvis responded.

"Get Nicole down here," Tony said after thinking for a few moments. "She's an expert when it comes to tracking things like this."

Jarvis didn't speak for a few moments, but Tony's desk phone began ringing.

"Stark," He barked as he answered the phone.

"_What _exactly is going on?" Nicole inquired. Tony could tell, for once, Nicole hadn't understood what Jarvis had said to her.

"Someone's threatening Natalie," Tony said. "I need you down here to trace the e-mail."

Nicole didn't hesitate, "I'll be right there."

Nicole stormed into Tony's office moments later, her assistant Lala following her.

"Where's Natalie?" Tony demanded.

"I left her with Pepper."

"No," Tony growled. "Jarvis, find Pepper and tell her to come here please."

"Right away, sir."

"Move," Nicole nudged Tony away from his computer and sat down at his desk. She didn't see an e-mail address attached to the message, but that wasn't an issue for her.

"Sophie?" Nicole called out.

"Yes, Nicole?" Nicole was pleased to hear Tony hadn't disabled her AI's abilities within the office building in the slightest. Nicole cracked her knuckles as Pepper came into the room with Natalie.

"Let's track this scumbag."

Nicole began humming as she typed away, "Sophie, try to backtrack an IP address."

"Attempting it as you speak," Sophie's disembodied voice responded.

"I hate doing this crap on Macs," Nicole grumbled with a slight glare to Tony. "You just had to run your computers off of Mac, didn't you?"

"I'm sorry, Oh Mistress of Technology," Tony snapped. "But my Macs aren't just Macs."

"They're goddamn Stark Macs, which makes them even worse!" Tony could see Nicole trying not to laugh. "You're like me, every time you get a brand new computer, you gut it and put your own system in. But your system, of course, is the total opposite of mine!"

Tony laughed, "Sorry to drive you insane Nikki."

Nicole looked up at him, and Tony saw, much to his surprise, a hint of fear in her eyes, "No you're not."

"Nicole, I have a possible match for the IP address," Sophie's voice sounded suddenly.

"List all possibilities," Nicole turned her attention back to Tony's computer screen.

Right on the top of the list was a name that made her blood chill.

"Justin Hammer Enterprises," Nicole whispered, her blue eyes widening. She looked to Tony in pure fear, and Tony understood why. Justin Hammer, a total idiot in himself, had been very good friends with Nicole's father, so good, that he had stood by and laughed when Nicole had been raped right in front of him.

Nicole stood up so fast that the back of the chair knocked into Tony. She left his office without a single word and stormed up along the hallway, putting a small bluetooth earpiece into her ear as she went. She scrolled through her Blackberry and found the number she'd been looking for.

"Rhodes," said a voice as the ringing in her ear stopped.

"Hey, Rhodey," Nicole felt a rush of relief at hearing Colonel LT James Rhodes' voice.

"Oh, hey, Nikki," Rhodey sounded genuinely happy to hear her voice. "What's going on?"

"Random question," Nicole said honestly. "What could I get for killing a bastard that's threatening to kidnap my daughter?"

Rhodey chuckled, "I'd say a good 25 to life, Nikki, but I'm no expert in criminal justice. What's going on?"

"Tony got an e-mail from my late father's best friend Justin Hammer," Nicole explained, running a hand through her hair as she stepped into the elevator. "It said only four words: Watch your daughter disappear."

"Where's Natalie now?"

"With Tony," Nicole responded. "Rhodey, I can't deal with this..."

"But you're _not_ alone, Nikki," Rhodey said. "You have Tony."

Nicole exhaled deeply, "Rhodey, please, just promise me something. I have such a bad feeling right now... Please watch over Tony if something does happen; You're his best friend and he at least trusts you."

"Nikki, you know I'd do anything for either you or Tony."

Nicole felt a lump rise in her throat, "I know you would Rhodey. You saved both me and Tony in the past, but..." Nicole felt her voice trail off. "I don't know what Tony would do if something happened to Natalie."

As Nicole was getting ready to leave the building that evening, Tony came over to her.

"Can I take Natalie for dinner?"

Nicole's eyebrow arched, "Why?"

"Because I'm her father?"

Nicole contemplated her ex-husband for a few moments, "Alright, Tony. Have fun."

"One more thing..."

Nicole sighed and held out the keys to her Q7, "Please be careful."

"With our daughter," Tony smiled. "Always."

As Tony took the keys from her, Nicole felt a small flutter in her stomach. Tony's smile reminded her immensly of the past they shared. She suddenly felt her internal armor threatening to break down. She missed Tony somewhere deep down. She missed having his love and attention at all hours of the day and night... She felt a chill rise along her spine as she thought of his kisses. An even bigger chillran through her body when she thought of their nights...

"Nikki."

Tony's voice brought her out of her thoughts, "Hm?"

"I'll have Natalie back by eight."

"Okay."

Eight o'clock, came and went however. So did nine o'clock, and so did ten before Nicole was absolutely furious. She dialed and dialed Tony's cell phone, but no answer came.

_Oh when you feel your hearts guarded,  
And you see the brakes started,  
And when the clouds above Departed,  
You'll be right here with me,  
And when your tears are dry from cryin,  
And when the worlds turned silent,  
So when the clouds above Departed,  
You will be right here with me..._

"Bruce," Nicole had pounced on her cell phone as she heard the ring she selected for her longtime friend. "I'm going freaking crazy... I don't know where the hell Tony is, I don't know where my daughter is..."

"Take a deep breath, Nikki," Bruce's voice somehow always seemed to calm her. "I'm sure everything's fine. You know Tony loses track of time like--"

_Beep-beep!_

Nicole took her Blackberry away from her ear for a split second to see she had another incoming call. From none other than Tony Stark.

"Hang on one second, Bruce," Nicole said at last. "Finally he calls me..."

Nicole switched lines, "Where the fuck are you, Tony?"

"That's a very good question, isn't it, Miss Lion?"

Nicole froze. Just froze. All of her body just stopped whatever it had been about to do and she sat paralyzed against her dining room chair.

"Justin," Nicole finally snarled. She had recognized the voice immediatly. "You fucking bastard! Where the fuck are my child and ex-husband?!"

"Mommy!!"

The wail stabbed Nicole right in the heart. Her baby... Her child...

Justin Hammer merely chuckled.

"JUSTIN!!" Nicole roared. "LEAVE MY FAMILY ALONE!"

"Aww, so that's all it takes to see you come undone, is it?" Justin Hammer taunted. "You just need to hear your baby daughter cry..."

"What did you do to Tony?!"

"Oh, he's alive," Justin said in a bored tone. "But why do you care about him? He's only an ex..."

"Yes, but he's my ex, you bastard, and the father of my child," Nicole snarled. "What do you want? What will it take for you to let them go unharmed?"

"I can't say I didn't hurt your dear Tony a bit," Justin responded nastily. "But your daughter is just fine. For now. Ahh, what I want from you, Nicole..."

Nicole felt a knot twist itself painfully within her stomach.

"Why don't you just come down here yourself, Nikki, and we'll see what happens?"

Nicole's internal warning bells were blaring in her ears as she swallowed hard, "Where are you?"

"Before I tell you, let me remind you that if you call the police, or come in your armor, you may not see your baby girl again."

"Tell me where to go," Nicole demanded, ignoring every single signal her body was sending her.

She hung up with Justin moments later and returned to Bruce, who was waiting on her other line.

"I need you to fly out here."

"What's going on?" Bruce inquired.

"My baby was taken..."


End file.
